Lorna Lardizabal Dietz is a Filipina American freelance journalist, community relations specialist, publicist, and international communications innovator. She skillfully combines her professional pursuits in marketing and public relations with a life agent license for Allstate Insurance and a Notary Public commission for California
Lorna demonstrated her entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, helping at her family’s bakeshop in Cebu City, Philippines, which laid the foundation for her business acumen. She graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. At 22 years old, she moved on to start and head the B.S. Hotel & Restaurant Administration degree program at the College of Commerce, Southwestern University.
Lorna Dietz’s roles have included serving as a consultant and board member for various organizations. She has been recognized for her leadership and her commitment to mentoring, community outreach, media relations, and social media. Her advocacy focuses on creating platforms for volunteering and supporting cultural and social causes, demonstrating her dedication to giving back and building strong community ties.
Lorna currently serves as the Secretary of the San Francisco Filipino American Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of History & Archives at the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce, and the Executive Secretary of the Philippine American Press Club-USA. She is also a board member of Sentro Filipino: The San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center, where she contributes to efforts that preserve and promote Filipino culture in the U.S.
In 1999, Lorna Dietz was the first Filipino to become the president of a Rotary District 5150 club, the Rotary Club of Fisherman’s Wharf-San Francisco. After a hiatus of 14 years in international service organizations, she became a charter member of the San Francisco Unified Lions Club in 2016. Lorna currently serves as the club’s Marketing & Communications Chair for 2025–2026.
Among her accolades, Lorna is proud of her First Runner-Up honors for “Speech to Entertain” at the Philippine National Toastmasters Convention (1983) and being one of the 100 TOFA Awardees (The Outstanding Filipino Americans) for 2020.
Her first co-edited book, “Diaspora Journey: Philippine Migration and Diaspora Narratives,” published in late 2024, garnered the “Print Journalism: Best Book (Non-Fiction/Anthology) Award” in the 2025 Migration Advocacy and Media Awards, organized by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. An essay about her culinary journey and five of her recipes are also published in the newly released food book, “Step into Our Kitchens: Theresian Recipes and Tales.” Lorna is busy writing her first solo book, a basic business guide in baking, cooking, and retail selling for home-based Filipino microbusinesses.